JP2023137846A - Mower - Google Patents

Abstract

To achieve a mower capable of reducing a work load of a user by reducing volume and weight of mown grass and reducing frequency of discarding mown grass.SOLUTION: A mower 1 includes: a blade 9 that mows grass; a power generation part 5 that generates drive force for rotating the blade 9; a housing 7 covering the blade 9; and mill means 10 that fines mown grass mown by the blade 9 and discharged from the housing 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a lawn mower.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, there has been known a grass mower that has a rotatably attached blade, a main body having a housing for accommodating the cutter blade, and a grass bag, and discharges grass cut by the blade from the main body through the housing. (For example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-156447

A conventional problem is that when a grass bag becomes full in a short period of time during mowing, the user has to frequently discard the grass clippings stored in the grass bag, which is a hassle. Additionally, it takes time to compost or convert grass clippings into biogas, and there is room for improvement in using grass clippings as a recycled resource.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to realize a grass cutter that can reduce the volume and weight of grass clippings, reduce the frequency of discarding grass clippings, and reduce the user's workload.

In order to solve the above problems and achieve the objects, a grass mower (1) according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a blade (9) for cutting grass, and a driving force that generates a driving force to rotate the blade (9). a housing (7) that covers the blade (9); and a mill means (10) that fragments the grass clippings cut by the blade (9) and discharged from the housing (7). and.

Further, a second mower (1) according to the present invention includes a storage section (8) for accommodating the cut grass finely divided by the mill means (10) in the first mode.

Further, in the third mode of the mower (1) according to the present invention, in the second mode, the storage section (8) collects moisture discharged from the cut grass finely divided by the mill means (10). It has a separating means (14) for separating the finely divided grass clippings.

Moreover, the mower (1) of the fourth form according to the present invention, in the third form, has a storage means (20) for storing the moisture separated from the grass clippings by the separation means (14).

Further, in a fifth embodiment of the mower (1) according to the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth embodiments, the mower (1) transmits the driving force generated by the power generating section (5) to the mill means (10). It includes a power transmission section (15, 17) for transmitting power.

Moreover, in any one of the first to fourth embodiments, a mower (1) according to a sixth aspect of the present invention uses a driving force generated by rotation of the wheels (4) of the mower (1) to A power transmission section (17) is provided for transmitting power to the mill means (10).

In addition, in the seventh aspect of the present invention, the mower (1) according to the fifth or sixth aspect includes a pair of mill means (10) that grind the cut grass by rotating in contact with each other. The power transmission section (15, 17) transmits the driving force to the rollers (11, 12) to rotate the pair of rollers (11, 12).

According to the present invention, the volume and weight of grass clippings can be reduced, the frequency of discarding grass clippings can be reduced, and the user's workload can be reduced.

Specifically, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the grass clippings are fragmented, so the time it takes for the grass clippings to decompose is shortened, making mulching more effective or making it easier to reuse as materials. .

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the fragmented grass clippings stored in the storage section (8) can be reused as recycled materials.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, nutritional components contained in water can be returned to grassland (turf). Further, since moisture does not accumulate in the storage section (8), the weight of the grass clippings accumulated in the storage section (8) is reduced when disposing of it, so that the user's workload can be reduced.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the storage means (20) is made removable and a faucet 21 is provided, so that the user can store moisture on dry ground or on plants that need water as needed. This makes it possible to supply water that has been

According to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, by sharing the blade (9) and the power source, there is no need to provide a dedicated power generating section in the milling means (10), and the number of parts can be reduced.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, by operating the milling means (10) by the rotation of the wheel (4), it is not necessary to provide a dedicated power generating section for the milling means (10), and energy consumption is reduced. can be reduced.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the milling means (10) can be configured simply and inexpensively.

It is an external view of the lawn mower of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a mill mechanism according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration in which a separation mechanism is provided in the mill mechanism of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a driving method of the mill mechanism according to the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the claimed invention, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the plurality of features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which a lawn mower of the present invention is applied to a lawn mower for cutting weeds, grass, etc. will be described below. Note that the present invention is applicable not only to lawn mowers but also to outdoor vacuum cleaners that vacuum fallen leaves and the like.

In the following explanation, the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom directions are defined as F in front of the lawnmower, R in the rear, R in the left side, R in the right side, U in the upper direction, and D in the lower direction according to the directions seen from the user. .

<Lawn mower>
FIG. 1 is an external view of the lawn mower of this embodiment.

The lawn mower 1 according to the present embodiment includes a main body 2, left and right front wheels 3 rotatably provided on both sides of the front end of the main body 2, and left and right front wheels 3 rotatably provided on both sides of the rear end of the main body 2. It includes left and right rear wheels 4, a power generating section 5 provided on the upper surface of the main body 2, and a handle 6 extending rearward and upward from the rear end of the main body 2. The lawn mower 1 is a walk-behind lawn mower that can be moved to any location by a user operating a handle 6. The power generation unit 5 is an engine, a motor, or a combination of an engine and a motor (hybrid). Further, the power generation section 5 includes a battery (not shown) as a power supply section. When the power generation unit 5 is an engine, the battery is charged with electric power generated by an alternator (generator) driven by the engine. Further, when the power generation unit 5 is a motor, the battery is charged with electric power supplied from an external power source.

The main body 2 has a disc shape that opens downward, and its outer shape is formed by a housing 7 that accommodates a blade (not shown). A glass bag 8 is connected to the rear end of the main body 2. The grass bag 8 constitutes a storage section that stores the cut grass cut by the blade.

<Mill mechanism>
FIG. 2 is a sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a mill mechanism installed in the lawn mower of this embodiment.

In the lawn mower 1 of this embodiment, a mill mechanism 10 is provided inside the grass bag 8. The mill mechanism 10 is arranged on the upstream side of the glass bag 8 adjacent to the main body part 2.

The grass cut by the blade 9 is pushed from the housing 7 of the main body 2 into the mill mechanism 10 of the grass bag 8 by the swirling flow generated by the rotation of the blade 9.

As shown in FIG. 2(a), the mill mechanism 10 has a pair of rollers 11 and 12, and rotates the rollers 11 and 12 using a drive method described later in FIG. The bag 8 accommodates the cut grass that has been cut into pieces by the mill mechanism 10.

The rollers 11 and 12 are arranged so as to rotate in a horizontal direction (back and forth direction) as shown in FIG. 2(b) or in a vertical direction (up and down direction) as shown in FIG. 2(c) while being in contact with each other with a predetermined pressing force. be done. This squeezes out moisture from the cut grass and removes the moisture. Further, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the plane including the rotational axes of the rollers 11 and 12 provided parallel to the horizontal direction and the line where the rollers 11 and 12 contact each other may be tilted with respect to the vertical direction, or The rotary shaft may be arranged so as to be inclined so that one end thereof is located above the other end. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 2(c), the plane including the rotational axes of the rollers 11 and 12 provided parallel to the vertical direction and the line where the rollers 11 and 12 contact each other is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. Alternatively, it may be arranged so that one end of the rotating shaft is located forward or backward relative to the other end.

Further, the rollers 11 and 12 have a function of pulverizing and finely cutting the grass clippings into powder or paste by rotating with their surfaces processed to a predetermined roughness in contact with each other. Thereby, the mill mechanism 10 can be configured simply and inexpensively. In this case, the function of grinding the cut grass can be enhanced by providing a difference in rotation speed between the rollers 11 and 12. In addition, by providing gear-shaped or twisted gear-shaped protrusions on the surfaces of the rollers 11 and 12, the grass clippings are always pushed in one direction, making it easier to separate the moisture from the squeezed grass clippings. .

In the configuration (FIG. 2(b)) in which the rollers 11 and 12 are arranged horizontally (in the front-rear direction) at the bottom of the rear end of the housing 10a of the mill mechanism 10, the cut grass pushed in by the swirling flow of the blade 9 is removed by its own weight. Since it can be allowed to fall naturally and then be thrown into the rollers 11 and 12, a simpler configuration can be achieved.

In addition, in the configuration in which the rollers 11 and 12 are arranged vertically (in the vertical direction) at the bottom of the rear end of the housing 10a of the mill mechanism 10 (FIG. 2(c)), the cut grass pushed in by the swirling flow of the blade 9 is removed. , the rollers 11, 12 are forcibly moved to the upper rear end of the mill mechanism 10 by a guide plate 13 disposed on the upstream side of the rollers 11, 2 so as to be inclined rearward and upward, and rotate the cut grass that naturally falls due to its own weight. can be drawn in sequentially. In this case, the guide plate 13 has a function of separating the untreated grass clippings newly pushed into the mill mechanism 10 from mixing with the grass clippings processed by the mill mechanism 10.

The cut grass ground by the rollers 11 and 12 and the squeezed water are discharged from the housing 10a of the mill mechanism 10 into the grass bag 8.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a configuration example in which the mill mechanism of this embodiment is provided with a separation mechanism for separating grass clippings and moisture.

The separation mechanism 14 includes a mesh having a predetermined roughness and a squeezing roller, and separates the cut grass treated by the mill mechanism 10 from moisture.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), the separation mechanism 14 is arranged at the lower rear end of the glass bag 8. The separation mechanism 14 can separate only the moisture while causing the cut grass and moisture treated by the mill mechanism 10 to naturally fall under their own weight, and discharge the separated grass to the outside of the grass bag 8.

Furthermore, the nutritional components contained in the water separated by the separation mechanism 14 can be returned to the lawn. Moreover, since moisture does not accumulate in the grass bag 8, the weight of the grass clippings accumulated in the grass bag 8 is reduced when disposing of it, so that the user's workload can be reduced.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3(b), convenience can be improved by providing a tank 20 at the bottom of the glass bag 8 (or main body 2) to collect and store water after separation by the separation mechanism 14. I can do it. In the example shown in FIG. 3(b), the tank 20 is configured to be removable from the main body 2, and the tank 20 is provided with a faucet 21, etc., so that the user can obtain dry ground or moisture as needed. The structure is such that the water stored in the tank 20 can be supplied to plants and the like. Alternatively, the main body 2 or the grass bag 8 may be provided with a sensor that detects dry ground or plants that need water, and the faucet 21 is automatically opened to perform watering automatically according to the detection result of the sensor. Good too.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration example of the drive system of the mill mechanism of this embodiment.

FIG. 4(a) shows a configuration example of the first drive method of the mill mechanism of this embodiment.

In the first drive method, the driving force generated by the rotation of the rear wheel 4 is transmitted to the mill mechanism 10 by a power transmission mechanism 15 such as a belt, and the rollers 11 and 12 are driven.

According to the first drive method, by operating the mill mechanism 10 by the rotation of the rear wheel 4, there is no need to provide a dedicated power source for the mill mechanism 10, and energy consumption can be reduced.

FIG. 4(b) shows a configuration example of the second drive method of the mill mechanism of this embodiment.

In the second drive method, the driving force generated by the rotation of the output shaft 16 of the engine as the drive source 5 is transmitted to the mill mechanism 10 by a power transmission mechanism 17 such as a belt, and the rollers 11 and 12 are driven. Further, the mill mechanism 10 is provided with a roller drive motor for driving the rollers 11 and 12, and instead of the driving force of the engine, electric power generated by an alternator (generator) driven by the engine is used to drive the roller drive motor. The rollers 11 and 12 may be driven by supplying the water to the rollers 11 and 12.

According to the second drive method, by sharing the blade 9 and the power source, there is no need to provide a dedicated power source for the mill mechanism 10, and the number of parts can be reduced.

In the second drive method, the mill mechanism 10 is provided with a roller drive motor for driving the rollers 11 and 12, and the roller drive motor is driven by electric power generated by an alternator (generator) driven by the engine. It may be configured to do so.

FIG. 4(c) shows a configuration example of the third drive method of the mill mechanism of this embodiment.

In the third drive method, the rollers 11 and 12 are driven using the power of the battery 18 that supplies power to the motor as the drive source 5. In this case, the mill mechanism 10 is provided with a roller drive motor 19 for driving the rollers 11 and 12, and power from the battery 18 is supplied to the roller drive motor 19 to drive the rollers 11 and 12.

According to the third drive method, by sharing the blade 9 and the power source, there is no need to provide a dedicated power source for the mill mechanism 10, and the number of parts can be reduced.

In addition, in the third drive method, the configuration may be such that the user can turn on and off the operation of the mill mechanism 10 at any timing.

Note that in each of the first, second, and third drive systems, one of the rollers 11 and 12 may be a driving wheel and the other may be a driven wheel, or both wheels may be driven. Furthermore, if the drive mechanism and power source of the mill mechanism 10 are separable, the mill mechanism 10 may be configured to be removable from the glass bag 8.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, most of the cut grass is water, but since the water can be reduced from the cut grass, the volume and weight of the cut grass can be reduced, and the grass bag 8 Since the frequency of disposing of stored grass clippings is reduced, the user's workload can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the grass clippings are divided into smaller pieces, the time required for the grass clippings to decompose is shortened, making mulching more effective or making it easier to reuse as materials.

In addition, since the cut grass is stored in the grass bag 8, there is no need to collect the cut grass after mowing, which reduces the burden on the user, and at the same time prevents the lawn from spoiling the aesthetic appearance of the lawn. It disappears. Further, the cut grass stored in the grass bag 8 can be reused as recycled material.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the invention. For example, in this embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a walking lawn mower has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a robot lawn mower (grass mower) or a riding lawn mower (grass mower).

1...Lawnmower 2...Main body part 3...Front wheel 4...Rear wheel 5...Power generating part 6...Handle 7...Housing 8...Grass bag (accommodating part)
9...Blade 10...Mill mechanism 11, 12...Roller 13...Guide plate 14...Separation mechanism 15, 17...Power transmission mechanism 16...Engine output shaft 18...Battery 19...Roller drive motor 20...Tank (storage means)
21...Faucet

Claims (7)

A blade that cuts grass,
a power generation unit that generates a driving force to rotate the blade;
a housing that covers the blade;
A lawn mower comprising: a mill means for finely cutting grass clippings cut by the blade and discharged from the housing. The grass cutter according to claim 1, further comprising a storage section for storing the cut grass finely divided by the mill means. 3. The mower according to claim 2, wherein the storage section includes separation means for separating moisture discharged from the finely divided grass clippings from the finely divided grass clippings. The mower according to claim 3, further comprising a storage means for storing the moisture separated from the grass clippings by the separation means. The mower according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a power transmission section that transmits the driving force generated by the power generation section to the mill means. The mower according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a power transmission section that transmits a driving force generated by rotation of a wheel of the mower to the mill means. The mill means includes a pair of rollers that grind the grass clippings by rotating in contact with each other,
The mower according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the power transmission section transmits the driving force to the rollers and rotates the pair of rollers.

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